ATG5 as biomarker for early detection of malignant mesothelioma.

Objectives: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive disease with grim prognosis due to lack of effective treatment options. Disease prediction in association with early diagnosis may both contribute to improved MPM survival. Inflammation and autophagy are two processes associated with asbestos-induced transformation.

Effects of extremely low-frequency magnetic fields on human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells: proteomic characterization.

Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-MF) can modify the cell viability and regulatory processes of some cell types, including breast cancer cells. Breast cancer is a multifactorial disease where a role for ELF-MF cannot be excluded. ELF-MF may influence the biological properties of breast cells through molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that are still unclear.

Mechanism of miR-222 and miR-126 regulation and its role in asbestos-induced malignancy.

MiR-222 and miR-126 are associated with asbestos exposure and the ensuing malignancy, but the mechanism(s) of their regulation remain unclear. We evaluated the mechanism by which asbestos regulates miR-222 and miR-126 expression in the context of cancer etiology. An 'in vitro' model of carcinogen-induced cell transformation was used based on exposing bronchial epithelium BEAS-2B cells to three different carcinogens including asbestos.

and Gene Expression: Diurnal Variability and Influence of Shift Work.

and genes are involved in DNA double-strand break repair and related to breast cancer. Shift work is associated with biological clock alterations and with a higher risk of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the variability of expression of genes through the day in healthy subjects and to measure expression levels in shift workers.

Exosomal transfer of miR-126 promotes the anti-tumour response in malignant mesothelioma: Role of miR-126 in cancer-stroma communication.

MiR-126 has been shown to suppress malignant mesothelioma (MM) by targeting cancer-related genes without inducing toxicity or histopathological changes. Exosomes provide the opportunity to deliver therapeutic cargo to cancer stroma. Here, a tumour stromal model composed of endothelial cells (HUVECs), fibroblasts (IMR-90 cells), non-malignant mesothelial cells (Met-5A cells) and MM cells (H28 and MM-B1 cells) was used.

Four-miRNA Signature to Identify Asbestos-Related Lung Malignancies.

Background: Altered miRNA expression is an early event upon exposure to occupational/environmental carcinogens; thus, identification of a novel asbestos-related profile of miRNAs able to distinguish asbestos-induced cancer from cancer with different etiology can be useful for diagnosis. We therefore performed a study to identify miRNAs associated with asbestos-induced malignancies.

Methods: Four groups of patients were included in the study, including patients with asbestos-related (NSCLC) and asbestos-unrelated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), and disease-free subjects (CTRL).

MiR-126 in intestinal-type sinonasal adenocarcinomas: exosomal transfer of MiR-126 promotes anti-tumour responses.

Background: Intestinal-type sinonasal adenocarcinomas (ITACs) are aggressive malignancies related to wood dust and leather exposure. ITACs are generally associated with advanced stage at presentation due to the insidious growth pattern and non-specific symptoms. Therefore, biomarkers that can detect the switch from the benign disease to malignancy are needed.

DNA damage response in workers exposed to low-dose ionising radiation.

Objective: Medical personnel using radiation for diagnosis and therapeutic purposes are potentially at risk of cancer development. In this study, the effect of ionising radiation (IR) exposure was evaluated as DNA damage response (DDR) in the circulating cells of occupationally exposed subjects.

Methods: The study population consisted of IR-exposed workers included both in group B (effective dose ranging between 0.

Exosomal miR-126 as a circulating biomarker in non-small-cell lung cancer regulating cancer progression.

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. It is diagnosed mostly at the locally advanced or metastatic stage. Recently, micro RNAs (miRs) and their distribution in circulation have been implicated in physiological and pathological processes.

Peripheral Skin Temperature and Circadian Biological Clock in Shift Nurses after a Day off.

The circadian biological clock is essentially based on the light/dark cycle. Some people working with shift schedules cannot adjust their sleep/wake cycle to the light/dark cycle, and this may result in alterations of the circadian biological clock. This study explored the circadian biological clock of shift and daytime nurses using non-invasive methods.

MicroRNA-126 induces autophagy by altering cell metabolism in malignant mesothelioma.

Autophagy favors both cell survival and cancer suppression, and increasing evidence reveals that microRNAs (MIRs) regulate autophagy. Previously we reported that MIR126 is downregulated in malignant mesothelioma (MM). Therefore, we investigated the role of MIR126 in the regulation of cell metabolism and autophagy in MM models.

Combined circulating epigenetic markers to improve mesothelin performance in the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma.

Objectives: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive tumor with poor prognosis. A major challenge is the development and application of early and highly reliable diagnostic marker(s). Serum biomarkers, such as 'soluble mesothelin-related proteins' (SMRPs), is the most studied and frequently used in MM.

Circadian Modulation of 8-Oxoguanine DNA Damage Repair.

The DNA base excision repair pathway is the main system involved in the removal of oxidative damage to DNA such as 8-Oxoguanine (8-oxoG) primarily via the 8-Oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1). Our goal was to investigate whether the repair of 8-oxoG DNA damage follow a circadian rhythm. In a group of 15 healthy volunteers, we found a daily variation of Ogg1 expression and activity with higher levels in the morning compared to the evening hours.

Circadian gene expression and extremely low-frequency magnetic fields: an in vitro study.

It is well known that circadian clocks are mainly regulated by light targeting signaling pathways in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus. However, an entrainment mediated by non-photic sensory stimuli was also suggested for peripheral clocks. Exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields might affect circadian rhythmicity.

Wood dust exposure induces cell transformation through EGFR-mediated OGG1 inhibition.

A high risk of neoplastic transformation of nasal and paranasal sinuses mucosa is related to the occupational exposure to wood dust. However, the role of occupational exposures in the aetiology of the airway cancers remains largely unknown. Here, an in vitro model was performed to investigate the carcinogenic effect of wood dusts.

Rotating-shift nurses after a day off: peripheral clock gene expression, urinary melatonin, and serum 17-β-estradiol levels.

Objective: Impairment of clock gene expression and changes in melatonin and 17-β-estradiol levels may constitute biological alterations underlying the increased risk of breast cancer among shift workers. The aim of this study was to compare levels of selected core clock gene expression, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), and 17-β-estradiol between rotational shift work (SW) and daytime (DT) workers after a day off.

Methods: The cross-sectional study comprised 60 nurses with ≥2 years of SW and 56 permanent DT nurses.

Occupational styrene exposure induces stress-responsive genes involved in cytoprotective and cytotoxic activities.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of a panel of genes involved in toxicology in response to styrene exposure at levels below the occupational standard setting.

Methods: Workers in a fiber glass boat industry were evaluated for a panel of stress- and toxicity-related genes and associated with biochemical parameters related to hepatic injury. Urinary styrene metabolites (MA+PGA) of subjects and environmental sampling data collected for air at workplace were used to estimate styrene exposure.

Styrene altered clock gene expression in serum-shocked cultured human fibroblasts.

The circadian clock can regulate the metabolic process of xenobiotics, but little is known as to circadian rhythms can be perturbed by xenobiotics. Styrene is a organic chemical widely used in occupational settings. The effects of styrene on the circadian genes of HuDE cells were evaluated after serum-shocking synchronization.

Clinical significance of circulating miR-126 quantification in malignant mesothelioma patients.

Objectives: Aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the detection of individual miRNA as clinical biomarkers in the serum.

Design And Methods: miRNA-126 was quantified in serum using endogenous and exogenous controls for normalization and the accuracy and precision of the method evaluated. The diagnostic value of serum miRNA-126 was evaluated in malignant mesothelioma (MM) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients using both relative and absolute qRT-PCR methods.

Angiogenic effect induced by mineral fibres.

Due to the toxic effect of asbestos, other materials with similar chemical-physical characteristics have been introduced to substitute it. We evaluate the angiogenic effect of certain asbestos substitute fibres such as glass fibres (GFs), ceramic fibres (CFs) and wollastonite fibres (WFs) and then compare angiogenic responses to those induced by crocidolite asbestos fibres (AFs). An in vitro model using human endothelial cells in small islands within a culture matrix of fibroblasts (Angio-Kit) was used to evaluate vessel formation.

Risk of bacterial cross infection associated with inspiration through flow-based spirometers.

Background: Bacterial contamination of spirometers has been documented in water-sealed devices, mouthpieces, and connection tubes. Little information is available about bacterial contamination of flow-based apparatuses such as turbine-type spirometers and pneumotachographs. Inspiration through contaminated equipment is a potential source of cross infection.

Bitumen products induce skin cell apoptosis in chronically exposed road pavers.

Background: Worker's exposure to bitumen fumes, via inhalation and skin contamination, is related to adverse effects including an increased risk of lung, stomach and non-melanoma skin cancers and leukaemia. The two major mechanisms regulating apoptosis include the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway and the extrinsic pathway induced by death signalling ligands. In a previous study, we showed activation of apoptosis-regulating proteins BAX and BCL-2 in road pavers chronically exposed to bitumen fumes.

Assessment of biomarkers in asbestos-exposed workers as indicators of cancer risk.

Epidemiological studies have shown that mortality from malignant mesothelioma (MM) and lung cancer have increased with increasing cumulative exposure to asbestos. To investigate whether tumour-related biomarkers can contribute towards the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk in populations exposed to asbestos, the DNA adduct 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (80HdG), interleukine-6 (IL-6), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFbeta) and soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRPs) were analysed in a cohort of workers differently exposed to asbestos fibres at the workplace. To document biomarker levels in an unexposed population, 54 age-matched subjects were enrolled.